Food Combining....again....

[veganman]

I was just reading the post about the wonderful chocolate cream pie and plan to make a rendition of it tonight. I noticed that in the original recipe, there was combining of avocadoes and nuts. Other recipes had avocadoes, nuts, and bananas.

I need help. I am trying to food combine for best nutrition and here is what I understand so far:

Melons alone
Fruit alone
Starches (sweet potatoes, corn, sprouted grains, sprouted legumes) alone or with green veggies
Nuts/Seeds/Dried Fruit alone or with green vegetables


According to The Raw Food Detox book, avocadoes are starches, but can combine with dried fruit. Bananas are fruits, but combine with avocadoes and dried fruit.

What is everyone else's understanding of bananas and avocadoes? How about carob - starch? And tomatoes - fruit, starch, what?

I know the important thing is to just eat raw, but I need structure and any help you guys can give would be much appreciated.

[Sunshine9]

Wow that's complex. haha. My understanding: bananas = sweet (starchy) fruit, and avocados = fat. So eat bananas with similar fruit (not citrus or melon) and eat avocados with greens. Tomatoes = vegetable fruit. So they combine mostly with vegetables, but would probably be fine with fruit. I've never tried it. Greens can be combined with anything.

Personally I go for a more basic approach to food combining-- if it give you gas don't eat it. Otherwise, eat it. I think there are some "bad" combinations that can support digestion. For example if one is a fast oxidizer and fruit leaves them feeling hyped up, combining it with fat slows the release of sugar. It works for some people. If you're particularly concerned with ideal digestion, mono meals are definitely the way to go initially than trying to remember all those rules... whatever you do stay calm and enjoy your food :)

[veganman]

Wow that's complex. haha. My understanding: bananas = sweet (starchy) fruit, and avocados = fat. So eat bananas with similar fruit (not citrus or melon) and eat avocados with greens. Tomatoes = vegetable fruit. So they combine mostly with vegetables, but would probably be fine with fruit. I've never tried it. Greens can be combined with anything.


Hi Sunshine9 - thanks for the reply...

So all fruits are okay with bananas except melons or citrus?

If avocadoes are fats rather than starches (they are 30% fat, 70% starch...how does one determine if something is a fat or a starch?) should it go with nuts?
:confused:

Thanks for your wonderful suggestions and patience!

[Brianna]

Avocados are a fruit and can combine with just about anything really. They can be eaten with fruits of with veggies or with starch as far as I understand, though starches and avocados are both concentrated food so that will be harder to digest.

Carob is a fruit.

Bananas are a sweet fruit. When sweet fruits and acid or sub-acid fruits are eaten together, the acid or sub-acid should be eaten before the sweet.

Tomatoes are technically a fruit and there are different opinions as to whether or not they can be eaten with veggies or just with fruits.

I don't stick to these rules hard and fast, but I generally adhere to them.

[veganman]

I just did some more research. The different sites on the web show:


Sweet fruits (bananas and dried fruit) can be combined only with sub-acid fruits (grapes, berries)
Acid fruits (citrus, tomatoes) can be combined with sub-acid fruits only
Vegetables (cabbage, peppers, celery, carrots) can go with anything
Proteins (nuts, seeds) only with greens
Starches - best with vegetables only


It sounds like Natalia Rose's book is one of the few that says dried fruits and nuts go together. Most of the information I found says to keep them separate, but most raw recipes put them together???

Also, the key is to keep acid and alkaline separate. So, vinegar should not be eaten with starches. It also sounds like vinegar might be incompatible with proteins because it makes it so that the stomach does not produce the right acid for proteins?? Oh...this is crazy making!!

There is no question that I will stay raw....so that is not at risk here....I just want to do this right!




Avocados are a fruit and can combine with just about anything really. They can be eaten with fruits of with veggies or with starch as far as I understand, though starches and avocados are both concentrated food so that will be harder to digest.

Carob is a fruit.

Bananas are a sweet fruit. When sweet fruits and acid or sub-acid fruits are eaten together, the acid or sub-acid should be eaten before the sweet.

Tomatoes are technically a fruit and there are different opinions as to whether or not they can be eaten with veggies or just with fruits.

I don't stick to these rules hard and fast, but I generally adhere to them.



Brianna - thanks for the reply. So avocadoes are a fruit...but fruits are not supposed to be combined with anything else....and I think they take longer than 30 minutes or so to digest because of the fat???


You all are so patient with me... :o

[Brianna]

Avocados do take longer to digest, but from what I hear they go well with fruits and greens. Vinegar should not be eaten with anything because it will ferment the food. It can be added to water though and drinking it this way will help to build hydrochloric acid in the stomach. And it's okay to do acid and alkaline together, such as greens with nuts and seeds.

[Spectatrix]

If avocadoes are fats rather than starches (they are 30% fat, 70% starch...how does one determine if something is a fat or a starch?) should it go with nuts?
Where'd you get that nutrition information? I looked up avocado nutrition and while specifics vary, it looks like a whole avocado contains about 30 g of fat to 3-4 g of starch.

[veganman]

Where'd you get that nutrition information? I looked up avocado nutrition and while specifics vary, it looks like a whole avocado contains about 30 g of fat to 3-4 g of starch.

Man - I must have been high when I wrote that. Thank you for clarifying. I don't know what I was thinking.


Avocados do take longer to digest, but from what I hear they go well with fruits and greens. Vinegar should not be eaten with anything because it will ferment the food. It can be added to water though and drinking it this way will help to build hydrochloric acid in the stomach. And it's okay to do acid and alkaline together, such as greens with nuts and seeds.

I have been increasing my vinegar on salads to help with hydrochloric acid. So, I should take it between meals? Is hydrochloric acid only important for protein digestion and problematic for starches? If it is okay to do acid and alkaline together, why are proteins and starches problematic?

I plan on picking up a few books this week on food combining from the library...

[margi]

Bananas are only starchy when they are unripe. When they are unripe they tend to cause digestive problems, even on their own. When they are ripe and fully yellow, they are a sweet fruit.

Avocados take longer to digest, so perhaps wait 3 hrs before eating any fruit after eating avocado or leave avocados to the end of the day.

Generally eat fruit before eating greens. For example, have some fruit before having an evening salad.

[Brianna]

Man - I must have been high when I wrote that. Thank you for clarifying. I don't know what I was thinking.



I have been increasing my vinegar on salads to help with hydrochloric acid. So, I should take it between meals? Is hydrochloric acid only important for protein digestion and problematic for starches? If it is okay to do acid and alkaline together, why are proteins and starches problematic?

I plan on picking up a few books this week on food combining from the library...
Try lemon juice on your salad instead of vinegar. It combines well and will do the same thing for your hydrochloric acid. You could take the vinegar like 15 minutes before your meal I would think.

[veganman]

Thanks Margi. :)


Try lemon juice on your salad instead of vinegar. It combines well and will do the same thing for your hydrochloric acid. You could take the vinegar like 15 minutes before your meal I would think.

Thanks Brianna - where did you get the info about lemon juice? I read that lemon juice is an acid like vinegar. How does either help to increase HCL? :confused:

Also, I just added some additional HCL questions on a previous thread, available HERE (http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14306) to avoid getting this thread too off topic.

[Linda1970]

Hi Sunshine9 - thanks for the reply...

So all fruits are okay with bananas except melons or citrus?

If avocadoes are fats rather than starches (they are 30% fat, 70% starch...how does one determine if something is a fat or a starch?) should it go with nuts?
:confused:

Thanks for your wonderful suggestions and patience!

1 avocado has about 27g fat, 15g, carbo, 3g protein. So, it's about 80% fat, and 20% carbo. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

[squidly]

lemons although appear acidic actually leave an alkaline residue when digested and as such are an alkalising food in the body

[veganman]

Another food combining question......

what do people classify things like


carrots
snow peas
sprouted lentils
raw corn
broccoli
avocado


I have a hard time figuring out what is okay to eat with what. Like nuts with broccoli? Some books call nuts a protein and call broccoli a starch. I know it depends on each person, just wanted to get your take on it. I don't know if I have problems with something because of the combination, the food, or because I took too many/not enough enzymes or too many/not enough HCL tablets.... :(

[Boz]

totally my opinion here on most of these: I think that carrots are starchy vegetables, which i find it difficult to digest with other veggies so i only eat them independently. snow peas are starchy vegetables. lentils are starches, they're beans. corn is a starchy vegetable. brocolli is a vegetable :rolleyes: i dont know????
avocado is a drupe, therefore it is a fruit :)

[Linda1970]

According to Dr. Douglas Graham (per Alissa's book),


carrots- starches/grain
fresh peas- veg
dried peas- legumes
lentils -legumes (not sure if sprouted)
dried corn -starches/grain
broccoli -veg
avocado -fats

[Linda1970]

According to Dr. Douglas Graham (per Alissa's book on p. 83),


carrots- starches/grain
fresh peas- veg
dried peas- legumes
lentils -legumes (not sure if sprouted)
dried corn -starches/grain
broccoli -veg
avocado -fats

Hope that helps. :)

[veganman]

According to Dr. Douglas Graham (per Alissa's book on p. 83),


carrots- starches/grain
fresh peas- veg
dried peas- legumes
lentils -legumes (not sure if sprouted)
dried corn -starches/grain
broccoli -veg
avocado -fats

Hope that helps. :)

Linda1970 - thanks for the reply. Are legumes classified as proteins or starches? Does it specify for fresh corn? How do fats get combined - with starches or proteins or neither?

[Lay-Lay]

wow, I am soooo glad that I keep it simple now. I used to get so wrapped up in what to combine this with and that with and now I just eat what my body wants and it is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much easier. I did the whole food combination my first time around and found staying raw hard that time and now it's easy. I still usually adhere to eating melons on a empty stomach (usually) and I eat fruit usually 20 minutes before I will eat vegetables or gourmet. I figure I will eventually reach a level where I will need too do more food combo, but I think my body will left me know when. Right now for myself I find it all so overwhelming.

Veganman, its great that you have decided to reach for that level. I wish you great success and keep us all posted on how it is working for you. Way to go!

[m_pizzano]

I love your new picture! This might be a silly question, but is that you? Also, I'm pretty new to this site so when you say just call me Lay Lay, is that the name you go by? Ok that is probably another dumb question but I didn't know if it meant something else. Just wanted to make sure :-)
Congrats on doing so well!
Marisa

[Linda1970]

Linda1970 - thanks for the reply. Are legumes classified as proteins or starches? Does it specify for fresh corn? How do fats get combined - with starches or proteins or neither?

Hi Veganman,

You are so welcome. You are always providing good info about raw products that I find extremely helpful. Thank YOU!

According to Dr. Graham(I guess you don't have Alissa's book):
-Legumes are more close related to starches.
-I couldn' find info on fresh corn
-Fats combine fairly with starches or protein (food combinations are classified as Excellent, Fair, or Avoid)